Tōya and His Nieces

What up! What up! So, I've been in Todofam feels for a while now and I wanted some fluff between Fuyumi and Tōya and so I had this idea. The oldest Todoroki siblings spend some time together but also Tōya meets Fuyumi's daughter's. In my other fic 'Apricity', Fuyumi has two daughters so I decided to use them again in this fic. But don't worry if you haven't read Apricity, the two fics aren't really connected that deeply. So this can be read as a stand alone. Anyways, enjoy...

Disclaimer: My Hero Academia doesn't belong to me

Reintegrating into the family had been… difficult to say the least. His life of villainy may have been behind him, but that didn't mean it was all smooth sailing the second the fighting stopped.

Tōya was now living with the people he'd tried to kill, the people he'd left behind because they'd left him behind. It was safe to say that conversations didn't come easily. Especially with Shōto. The two barely knew each other even when they were kids, that wasn't going to change now that they were adults, especially since Tōya had had the biggest issue with his youngest brother after their father.

And the thing that grated on his nerves the most was how casual Shōto was about everything. Before leaving the house, Shōto would ask if Tōya needed anything from the store, or offer to make dinner, or do just about anything a normal younger brother would do which made Tōya uneasy because their relationship was far from normal.

One of the biggest changes was also getting used to the new house. Natsuo explained that their father, in an attempt to atone, moved the family to a new house. It was bizarre, not walking past that trailing room everyday that held so many memories of his childhood years. Good and painful ones. The backyard was smaller than the one at their old home but this one had a pool. He and Natsuo had their own rooms this time when he could still vividly remember sharing one with his younger brother. Everyone had their own room now, although Fuyumi, he was told, was married and living with her husband, who just so happened to be the number two hero: Hawks. What the actual hell? How on earth had that happened? Everything was so brand new, just like the situation the Todoroki family found themselves in. Having him around again was brand new and took a lot of getting used to.

Over the ten months he'd been living with his family, Tōya tried to keep to himself most of the time, he was used to being on his own, and back when he was in The League, he only needed to be around when they were planning something. So living in isolation was as simple as breathing, and he thought his family would handle him that way too. Constantly on edge and only approach him if absolutely necessary.

That wasn't exactly the case…

His mother would greet him in the mornings as she made them all breakfast, Natsu would randomly enter his room and ask if he wanted to join them for movie night and he'd already mentioned how Shōto was with him. Their parents were still working out how this new dynamic would involve their father but sometimes he did come over for dinner and they'd eat together. Some weekends, like this very one, Fuyumi would come over as well with her family, and that made the house really full.

Those times were too much for Tōya, and he'd insisted that he'd rather eat alone in his room while everyone else sat together. While he sat on his bed with his meal, he could hear his now much larger family talking, laughing and overall having a great time. The sounds that really stuck out to him were the small yet loud voices of Fuyumi's daughters. He could hear their tiny feet walking all over the place. He was curious about them, very much so, but he'd never asked about them and staying in his room or going out whenever they visited meant he never saw them. Sometimes he still couldn't wrap his head around the fact that Fuyumi had kids of her own, after the hell they'd all been through.

Part of him felt like it was for the best that he didn't meet them, that this was the way it was meant to be. Sometimes he wanted to be part of it all and really try again with his family and other times that very thought sickened him. He couldn't bring himself to take that first step. Fuyumi however, had other plans.

"Tōya-nii..." she knocked on his door and entered when he gave her permission. "We're just about to head out, I wanted to say goodbye before we left." she walked in and joined him on the bed.

Tōya sat up and watched her walk in and sit at the edge of his bed, close to him but not too close. They sat in silence for a few seconds, it looked like Fuyumi was trying to form what to say next in her head. And by the way she tucked her hair behind her ear, something she did when she was nervous or uncomfortable, it was something about him.

He sighed and unfolded his arms, "If you were really just here to say goodbye, you could've done that by the door. What is it, Fuyumi?" his question was direct but his words weren't sharp. Part of him felt like she was going to ask the impossible of him.

"Nothing, really..." she let out a light laugh, met his gaze then turned away, looking at his monitor instead.

Tōya huffed. Oh she was definitely hiding something now and clearly tried to play it off. But if she wanted to play the waiting game, he could wait. He was spitefully patient. They returned to the heavy silence of before.

"Well..." there it is, he thought with a triumphant smirk. "I was thinking, don't you think it's time you met them?" she'd turned her whole body to face him, a serious look on her face.

And there it was. The impossible ask he knew she'd drop on him some day.

"You mean your daughters?" he folded his arms again, putting his guard up as he ventured into this unknown territory.

"Your nieces." she added.

"I don't think that's the best idea. I don't exactly play well with others." he got up and moved to sit in his desk chair, Fuyumi felt too close. "And besides, I haven't been around kids since we were all kids and we all remember how that went."

"Things aren't the same as back then, us talking like this is proof of that. You've changed."

"Doesn't mean it's for the better." he knew he was being difficult but this was one thing he really wasn't prepared for. Why would she even trust him around her children? With a past like his, he shouldn't be anywhere near them.

"Write yourself off as much as you like but you're not as bad as you claim to be. Mom's told me how much you've been trying, even with Shōto."

He rolled his eyes, annoyance settling in his chest. "We barely talk at all. He's usually the one saying anything to me." and that was when he'd learned that things weren't as casual as Shōto made it look. It wasn't easy for their youngest brother, Tōya had learned, but he was trying anyways because he wanted to make things work.

"But you respond instead of blowing him off like you did at the beginning." Fuyumi adjusted her glasses.

This conversation was making him feel vulnerable and he didn't enjoy the feeling, not one bit.

"Why are you trying so hard, Fuyumi? You already have a family. What more do you want?" that last part came out more as a plea for her to stop rather than an attack to silence her.

"I want you to pick a side." Tōya was taken aback by her boldness. "You're part of our family too, no one's going to scorn you for trying to be a part of it again. We're all still trying to figure this out, it's not just you. Aren't you tired of all of us walking on eggshells around each other? It's awkward and uncomfortable for all of us. Can't we just acknowledge it and move on? I don't want this turning into what we used to be. Everyone just carrying on with life while pretending everything's normal when it clearly isn't."

"You're not even here most of the time so why do you even care?" he leaned back in the chair. The longer this conversation went on for, the more drained he felt.

"Because I finally got my brother back and I don't want to stand by and lose you again."

"It can't be that simple." he raised his head slightly to look at her.

"Why not?"

"Because right now, it's just us talking as brother and sister. What does that have to with your kids?" he sat up straight and looked at her.

"I want them to know you, too." her voice softened at those words, she was being sincere. Not that she hadn't been this whole time but extra care was put into those words. She really wanted him part of their lives.

"So there is another motive then?" he was backtracking, anything to get out of this conversation.

"You think the alternative would be better? Wait until they're our age and tell them they had an uncle they never knew about?" she raised a brow and fiercely met his gaze.

"You still haven't told me everything." Tōya was always good at reading his sister.

Fuyumi sighed, "I think it would be good for you, too." it was almost time for her to leave, she didn't want to keep her family waiting for too long. "I think that starting small, literally, could help you get used to being around all of us again. Not to mention, it's almost been a year, I think it's about time you met them. I won't force you or anything but please just think about it." she stood and headed to the door.

In the silence that followed, the two older siblings just looked at each other and Tōya realised in that moment just how much Fuyumi resembled their mother.

Tōya leaned his elbow on the desk and rested his head in his hand. "I'll think about it." he finally answered her.

He could feel her hopeful energy from where he sat even though she stood by the door. He wasn't looking at her anymore but he knew she was smiling.

She thanked him cheerily then left after saying goodbye. He heard the car drive off not long after.

Tōya rubbed his temples. This was going to be a long week.

And a long week it had been. Everyday he'd changed his mind on whether or not to take up Fuyumi's offer to meet her daughters. In between helping his mom with the dishes, picking up groceries with Natsuo and having a somewhat passable conversation with Shōto, his mind continued to switch between yes and no.

Life had become increasingly normal for him and its not like he had anything else to do.

So when he'd rang the bell to his sister's home, he only half regretted it. A few seconds later Fuyumi opened the door and let him inside.

"Is that Natsu's?" she knew her brother's black jersey anywhere.

"I didn't have anything else to wear." he took off his shoes and followed her to the living room. The jersey in question did indeed belong to their younger brother, which explained why it didn't fit Tōya very well. Their builds were not the same. Natsuo took after their father in more ways than he'd like to admit. In both height and muscular build, Natsuo resembled their father. Meanwhile, Tōya was slimmer so the jersey sat on him like an oversized one.

The siblings went and sat on the couch, Fuyumi had prepared tea. Tōya looked around taking everything in. The family pictures on the walls and Fuyumi and Keigo's wedding picture. The kitchen and furniture, the doors leading to other rooms. It had a homey feeling to it. It looked like Fuyumi got the family home she'd always wanted. Little voices and laughter could be heard from a room close by.

"So what now?" he set his cup down. The tea had warmed him up but the unease of the situation also settled in.

"Now you meet the girls while I make lunch."

"As long as it's not—

"Fish? Yeah I know." she got up and headed to the kitchen.

"Wait, What? What do you mean you know?" he got up as well and followed her.

"More like I remember. You were always such a baby about it." she teased and moved about the kitchen getting the dishes she'd need.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he leaned on the counter next to the stove.

"I mean, back when we were kids, the one time mom got you to have fish for dinner, you acted like you'd been poisoned."

"I might as well have been. Fish is one of the worst foods ever." just the thought of it repulsed him.

"So you're still dramatic about it." she took out the ingredients from the fridge. "Honestly, a lot of the time that one year gap between us really means nothing."

Fuyumi laughed while he let out a short chuckle. Being like this felt good he had to admit, even if they were laughing at his expense. Talking about the few good times they had made him feel a little more glad that he came over. For once the past brought up wasn't painful and burdensome.

And now for the hard part.

"Okay let's get this over with." he took in a deep breath. "Where are they?"

"Playing in their room. Nothing other than food and Keigo coming back from work will get their attention. That and someone new coming to visit."

"And what am I supposed to do if something goes wrong?" These were legitimate questions he had, he wasn't anywhere near qualified to deal with kids, "What if one of them starts crying? What if they both start crying at the same time?" and that was only one of the many things that could go wrong.

"It's not like I'm leaving you home alone with them. If anything serious happens I'll help but honestly if they cry, you ask what wrong and comfort them. Simple."

"Firstly, they can talk? And second, I've literally never done this before."

"They're almost four, so yes they talk and well, you'll have a blast learning how to." she walked to their room while Tōya remained a few steps behind her. He remained at the doorway while Fuyumi went inside.

The two girls in question were sitting in front of the mirror with one of their teddies. Reika with long white hair and golden eyes, was currently brushing through its fur with a small pink brush while Harumi, with short sandy blonde hair and grey eyes, was going through their accessory box, trying to choose which of the various glittery and colourful hair ties to use.

"What are you up to?" Fuyumi joined them on the mat.

"We're playing hairdresser. Kuma is getting her hair done." Reika explained to her mother while continuing to brush the fur.

"Mommy, which hair tie is better?" Harumi came forward holding a red one and a silver one.

"Which do you like better?" Fuyumi chuckled. Harumi chose the silver one and went to join her sister in front of the mirror. Once Reika stopped brushing, Harumi gathered as much of the fur as she could and tied it up using her chosen hair tie. The two girls then turned proudly to their mother, showing off their hard work. Fuyumi complimented them.

Tōya watched the whole interaction from the doorway. They were so small, around knee height for him and the unmistakable black marks around their eyes immediately stood out to him. The same as Keigo's. Everything in the room was so small. Small beds, small toys, small shoes. He felt like a giant compared to them, and since he was taller than Fuyumi, he was currently the tallest person in the house. Heck, even with Keigo around, he would still be the tallest person in the house.

"Reika, Harumi, there's someone I want you to meet." she picked them both up and turned towards her brother. Tōya felt his heart rate speed up. "This is my big brother, your uncle Tōya."

"We have another uncle?" Harumi spoke up first, taking in his appearance. Tōya felt a little uneasy under both their gazes. For a few seconds the young girls didn't say anything, just looked at him, until Reika happily added.

"You hair is like mine and mommy's." Reika noted his white hair and the tension he'd felt immediately disappeared. That was apparently all the evidence she needed to decide he was indeed her mom's brother. Tōya let out an amused sigh at that simplicity.

"Are you really mommy's big brother? How old are you? Are you really old?" Harumi fired off her questions without a breath in between. Fuyumi looked at her brother with an expectant smile and a little bit of teasing.

Oh so it was going to be like that, huh?

"I am her big brother. And how old did your mom say she is?" he continued to lean against the door frame with a playful smile directed at Fuyumi.

"Mommy won't tell, she always says she's old enough." Harumi pouted.

"Well then I'm old enough plus one."

"Are you gonna play hairdresser with us?" Reika asked, looking from her mother to her now known uncle.

"I'm making lunch for us right now but," she put the girls down, "Uncle Tōya's gonna spend time with you."

They both cheered excitedly as Fuyumi left the room but not before winking at her brother. He harmlessly rolled his eyes. Harumi was already headed to the accessories box, spilling all the contents on the floor. A wide variety of clips and hair ties filled the floor. Harumi was going through them all as if this was the most important decision of her life.

Meanwhile little Reika stood in front of her uncle, looking up at him with her big golden eyes and a sweet smile and held out her hand. Being much too tall for her to reach, Tōya had to bend a little to take her hand. It was small in his larger hand but she held on, lead him to the mirror and asked him to sit down.

Tōya sat cross-legged in front of the mirror, not sure what to expect, and watched Reika pick up a blue plastic brush and scoot the chair Kuma had been sitting in closer to him. Even seated he was a little too tall for her to reach his head so she'd needed the chair. One foot up and the brush in one hand, Reika almost slipped when trying to climb with her other foot. Tōya saw the whole thing in the reflection in the mirror and turned to catch her before she fell. He felt something in his heart stir, the very heart he thought had been frozen all this time, when she smiled gratefully at him.

"Careful now." he held her hands and helped her up on the chair then turned back around so she could start brushing.

Where did that come from? His body had moved on its own when he saw her about to fall. He always thought he didn't have a caring bone in his body, but when it came down to it he knew he didn't want to see Reika fall and possibly hurt herself.

Harumi finally made her choice and came back to join them, two butterfly clips and four blue hair ties on her wrists.

"You have pretty eyes like grandpa's." she commented which made him smile a little, and got her own chair, which Tōya helped her climb as well. Now both sisters were busy with his hair. Their tiny hands keeping busy. Tōya couldn't help but smile at the reflection in the mirror. It was more than a little ironic that he, Todoroki Tōya, formerly known as Dabi who'd committed a long list of crimes was now years later, sitting on the bedroom floor of his nieces while they styled his hair however they pleased. And he had to admit, they were both very cute. They reminded him so much of Fuyumi when they were kids, more than a few memories of back then resurfaced in his mind.

Harumi asked a lot of questions and wanted answers. Natsu had warned him that that innocent curiosity of hers would hit him the second she met him. And Reika, who might not speak as much as her younger sister (relatively speaking since Harumi was born four minutes after Reika), was incredibly sweet and gentle. Even while brushing his hair she'd make sure she wasn't brushing too hard. Tōya reassured her that she was doing just fine.

An unfamiliar feeling welled up inside him. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this genuinely happy and somewhat protective of them. Before coming over, all he could think about was how much things could go wrong if he met them but so far everything had gone beyond right.

He would never admit it out loud but a part of him had worried that they would reject him. And while Tōya was used to handling rejection in other areas, he wasn't sure if he could take being rejected by parts of his own family again. That wound would always be ready to tear open again. He would never fully heal from that.

While doing his hair, the sisters also asked all sorts questions that he saw coming. What he and his siblings and most importantly, how their mom was as a child. And for a while it felt good to talk about the good times they had, few as they were. Harumi and Reika absorbed every word he spoke, completely engaged in the new information they were learning about the rest of the family.

Tōya's favourite reaction by far was when he'd told them that he was actually born with red hair that ended up turning white. They were absolutely shocked. Reika even went to call Fuyumi and ask herself if it was true. They made her promise to show them their childhood photos next time they visited their grandparents.

Xxx

Fuyumi had finished preparing lunch and came to call them all to the table but, before she did, she watched her brother and daughters. They'd finally finished his hair. Gold butterfly clips all over his hair in no particular order or pattern, and three ponytails using the front of his hair so his forehead was revealed. Fuyumi tried to hold back a laugh but what really surprised her was the look on Tōya's face. He looked so… peaceful, in a way she'd never seen him before. Especially as he tried to braid Reika's hair that fell just below her shoulder blades. Harumi was watching him work, leaning over his shoulder and still standing on the chair.

Tōya tried with all his might to remember how to braid hair. He remembered having done it once or twice with Fuyumi when they were kids, but that was such a long time ago. It was his third attempt trying to braid his niece's hair and the third time it came undone just as quickly. Reika didn't seem to mind though, she patiently sat with her back to him with the most cheerful grin on he face. Tōya finally looked up and saw Fuyumi's reflection in the mirror. She was standing by the door. She gestured the order of how to braid hair until he finally got it. A few minutes later, he tied the bottom of it to keep it secure. As soon as he finished, Reika excitedly looked at her new hairstyle in the mirror then proceeded to add some clips to her hair.

Only when Harumi got down from her chair did Fuyumi realise that she had the same hairstyle as Tōya, three ponytails in the front of her hair. He'd probably done hers as well since Harumi's hair was still quite short and fluffy.

"Mommy, look! Uncle Tōya braided my hair." Reika bounced up and down excitedly.

"And he did mine like his!" Harumi joined her sister in jumping up and down.

"And you both look adorable." she got down on their level and tickled them making them laugh, "Okay head to the table for lunch now." Fuyumi watched them rush out before standing back up.

She gave Tōya a very satisfied smile.

"And what's that for?" he raised an eyebrow as he stood up and joined her by the door.

"I'm just waiting for you to say it."

He sighed, he thought he was the only petty one in the family. "I guess you were right." he admitted, "I did need this, they're both really sweet." and what he really really meant to say was that he really should've met them sooner. They didn't do anything spectacular, he just sat with them and let them do his hair as he answered their questions but, he hadn't felt this comfortable in literal years.

Fuyumi couldn't help but laugh a little. As much as she knew her brother's words were genuine, his out of place hairstyle was quite distracting. The two siblings went to join the girls and have lunch together. When they made it to the table Tōya helped Harumi up into her chair, wanting the same treatment, Reika held out her arms and asked to be helped into her chair too. It seemed the two of them just couldn't get enough of their uncle's attention. They made him feel wanted in a way that was different to how he wanted to be with his family. It felt good to be relied on.

Xxx

After lunch, Fuyumi had surprised the girls with cookies she'd baked while they were spending time with Tōya. Finally cool enough for them to take without getting burned Fuyumi put some on a plate for them to eat together. Tōya was sitting on the couch in the living room in front of the tv, waiting for them. They said they wanted to watch a movie with him. From the corner of his eye Tōya noticed little Reika with a saucer in her hands. On it were two of the chocolate chip cookies Fuyumi had just handed out. She made sure to give him a plate first and when he thanked her, she smiled and skipped back to the kitchen to get her own plate. Tōya smiled to himself, he didn't have much of a sweet tooth but, he appreciated her sharing with him and took a bite into the soft and chocolatey snack.

Harumi had already eaten one of hers and was busy on her second one when she came over and climbed the couch to sit next to him.

"Uncle, how did you get those scars?" Harumi innocently asked and looked up from her plate to meet his gaze, crumbs all over her face.

His heart skipped a beat and he briefly met Fuyumi's gaze before looking down at Harumi. Fuyumi looked like she was going to say something, probably to dismiss her question but Tōya beat her to it.

It was a simple question and so he'd give her a simple answer. Plus its not like he could hold it against her for being curious, if anything he was surprised it took either of them this long to ask about it.

"I got hurt really badly using my quirk when I was a kid." there was obviously a lot more to it than that, but Tōya doubted Fuyumi had gotten the chance to tell her girls the truth about their side of the family, so he was satisfied with his answer.

"What quirk do you have?" Harumi asked further.

"I could show you." he looked over at Fuyumi who was already getting up. She opened one of the kitchen drawers and came back with a small candle and handed it to him. Reika, who had been sitting on her mother's lap, climbed down from her spot on the single seater and went to sit on the other side of Tōya, so they sat on either side of him.

Tōya held the small white candle in his hand, then lit a tiny blue flame above his finger and lit the wick of the candle. The blue flame was stable, melting some of the wax of the candle. Harumi and Reika were mesmerised by it, they'd only ever seen the usual red/orange shades of fire, never a striking blue like this.

"Just like your eyes." Harumi commented, not taking her eyes away from the blue flame, afraid it would disappear if she did. Ah, if only it were that simple. He thought to himself. No, there was an entirely different reason as to why his fire was that blue colour that had nothing to do with his eyes. By that logic, his father's fire would've been the same. Before Harumi could reach out for it, Tōya raised it out of both their reach.

"No no, don't touch. Fire is hot and painful." he blew out the flame and put the candle on the table in front of him. But that wasn't all fire was, it could be also be warm and comforting. It was energy and life, too bad that had never been his experience with it.

"Was it painful for you?" this time it was Reika who'd asked, both girls were looking up at him, waiting for his answer. He could see sadness in their eyes which surprised him but also baffled him. How could they feel sad for him, they were nowhere near being born yet? No matter what answer he gave them it wouldn't change the past. He met his sister's eyes again, he could tell that she also wanted to know how he'd respond, he could see the worry in her eyes as well.

"It was..." he could never lie about that. The smile on his face was a painful, thoughtful one as his mind slowly drifted back to that day. He could still hear the roaring flames consume his body, his skin melting away, his own screaming voice drowned out by their thunderous fury. Even though he couldn't hear himself screaming, he could feel his throat tearing itself apart. It had been painful, oh so very painful and then he felt nothing…

He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them again, "But that was long ago, it doesn't hurt anymore so don't worry," he'd said that to reassure them but maybe part of him would never be over it. It would take a long time for him to truly make peace with it, make peace with himself and the fact that he'd technically died that day.

The relief that showed on their faces was almost overwhelming, were they really that concerned for him?

His mind pondered over these thoughts as they watched the movie. He hadn't paid much attention to it, his mind only snapped back to reality when Fuyumi turned off the tv while the end credits were displayed. He also noted that it was significantly quieter than when the movie had been playing. When he looked down he understood why, both Harumi and Reika were fast asleep against him.

"It's like five pm, how are they asleep?" he said in a low voice with an amused smile.

"If they're asleep now it just means it'll be much harder putting them to bed later on." Fuyumi lightly chuckled and came to join him on the larger couch. She gently picked up Harumi and held her in her lap. The young girl stirred slightly then snuggled into her mom's embrace and fell asleep again.

For a while the oldest Todoroki siblings sat in silence, each having a little one asleep by them.

"Listen, Tōya-nii—

"If you're going to apologise, don't bother. There's nothing to be sorry for. You couldn't have known either of them would ask."

"Yeah, but the last thing I wanted was to bring up the past. Make you relive it." she gently brushed through her daughter's hair but making sure not to mess up the hairstyle she'd been so excited about.

"I've relived that moment thousands of times now. It's always going to be there, Fuyumi and I knew it was coming. One day they're going to learn everything about our little family. It doesn't matter if they found out about me a little early. It's fine, really." he looked down at Reika fast asleep on his side. Physical closeness was never his thing and he'd certainly never initiate it but he was fine with this. He liked it even. "What gets me more than anything is how concerned they seemed to be about it."

"Well that's easy enough to explain. They wouldn't want to know you're hurting. They care about you." Fuyumi leaned her head on his shoulder.

"They met me for the first time today." it didn't make sense to him. How could anyone form a bond that quickly?

"And you're family, you made them smile, you made them laugh. With kids, sometimes it's as simple as that." Fuyumi sat up and looked at Tōya's hair and chuckled. "And it didn't take a lot for them to use a glitter brush on you."

"A what?" he asked confused since she'd changed the subject.

"A glitter brush. It's one of their favourite toys, the handle of the brush has glitter in it and by the looks of it, they might have used it all on you." even thought the light was beginning to fade, she could see the glitter in his hair clearly.

"Are you serious?" Tōya ran a hand through his hair and it was almost completely covered in blue glitter. Now that he thought about it, he did find it strange that Reika shook the brush over his head before she started brushing. Oh well. He leaned his head back and let out a short laugh.

"Took me a whole week to get the glitter out of my hair. Sometimes I still find glitter on my clothes." Fuyumi laughed at the memory.

Xxx

The sun had already set when Keigo arrived home. Still on the couch with the girls, Tōya watched as they sprang to life when hearing the front door open. Fuyumi was right, Keigo coming home would get their attention no matter what. As soon as he was inside both girls ran over to him and leapt into his arms, excited that their father was home. Keigo scooped them both up in his arms and hugged them tightly. All three of them were laughing happily.

When he put them down, they both decided to tell him about their day and how much fun they'd had. They animatedly and excitedly recounted the entire day, Keigo with a hearty laugh had trouble keeping up.

Tōya took that as his cue to head out. He stood up and headed to the kitchen to tell Fuyumi, unfortunately however, Reika and Harumi heard him and raced over to the kitchen in tiny protest.

"No, Uncle Tōya, don't go yet!" Harumi hugged his one leg.

"Yeah, please just a little longer." and Reika hugged the other.

Tōya was surprised to say the least. He didn't think his intended departure would cause such a reaction from them. And also the scene before him was quite amusing, each of them held tightly to a leg, and while he could definitely still move even with them attached to him, he dare not upset them further. Then they really might start crying.

"At least stay for dinner?" Fuyumi suggested.

Tōya could spot the tiny bit of mischief in his sister's eyes, she knew this would happen and knew he would give in.

"Alright, I'll stay." he gave the answer they wanted and both girls released him at the same time and laughed gleefully.

That Todoroki stubbornness was kicking in early, he thought to himself. Keigo went to help the girls wash up before dinner, after kissing Fuyumi on the cheek. Things seemed to run by a certain routine by the looks of things. Tōya was happy for his sister. Speaking of, Fuyumi walked over and stood next to him.

He raised a brow when she took his arm and put it over her shoulder and leaned into him.

"Do you have to steal a hug?" he had an amused smile.

"Yes, because I know you won't give me one properly." she chuckled.

Meh. She wasn't exactly wrong there. Hugging wasn't really his thing. They were silent for a while, the sound of the meal simmering on the stove filled the room.

"You've got a good family here." he kept his arm over her.

"I know." she closed her eyes with a smile, "I'm glad you came over."

"So am I." he was genuinely glad that he got to meet Reika and Harumi. He may not have been around for them since the beginning but even after just one day together, he could tell they were being raised with a lot of love. At least the new generation of the family would turn out better and be happier than he and his siblings ever were growing up. And if that was the case then even someone as cynical as him could have hope for the future, hope for a happier family that he could comfortably be a part of.

"Oh also, I may have told mom you're staying over." typical Fuyumi, he wasn't even surprised anymore. It seemed Reika and Harumi got their cunning from their mother, well at least some of it because Keigo also had his moments.

"Of course you did. Guess I'm crashing on the couch."

"We have a spare bedroom." she looked at him wondering why he'd even assume that's where he'd be sleeping.

"The couch is fine." he shrugged his shoulders.

"Tōya-nii..."

"Hey, I'm the oldest. You technically can't tell me what to do, or in this case, where to sleep." he looked down at his sister who looked ready to argue.

"I can when you're in my house." she smirked.

Dammit. She had a point.

"Fine..." he patted her head…

Something he would never do which made Fuyumi suspicious of him.

"You put some glitter in my hair didn't you?" she sighed.

"I may have." he answered, mimicking her words from earlier with an all too pleased with himself smile and he actually laughed.

Tōya and Fuyumi continued their light-hearted bickering, while she tried to get some of the glitter out her hair. And as much as he was enjoying himself, it also made Tōya come to another realisation: everything she'd done for him today and seeing her laugh like this made Tōya realise just how much Fuyumi had missed him all these years. They used to have silly arguments like this as kids but since he'd been gone, she hadn't had anyone to do this with.

Of course she loved and bickered with Natsuo and even Shōto sometimes but, there was something special about her relationship with her older brother given their very small age gap.

Fuyumi had missed having an older sibling to talk to and mess with and Tōya, remembering all this, enjoyed this moment even more. He'd missed her too. There was something special about being an older brother and just being the oldest in general.

It suddenly dawned on him how appreciative he was of the fact that he was getting a second chance at it. And now with Reika and Harumi becoming a part of his life, he had more younger people to look out for. And with enough experience being the oldest child, he knew a thing or two about having tiny people following him around everywhere and wanting to learn from him.

He wanted to do right by them, not only because they were his sister's children but because he was their uncle and they were his precious nieces.

And there you have it. Just some family fluff, brother sister time that I'd been wanting to write, not to mention Tōya as an uncle lol. Hope you enjoyed!

Well that's it from me-

Until the next story:

Ketsui Tasogare :-)